Primitive umbrellas have been used for more than 2,000 years. However, the type of umbrella we use today was designed less than 3 hundred years ago. Our present umbrella is made of steel covered with cloth. It was first produced in the late 1700 s. This umbrella was invented by six men, working together, and the product was so popular that each inventor made more than a million dollars. The invention of the parachute is believed to have come from the design of the umbrella. 原始的伞曾用了2000多年。然而，我们现今用的这类伞设计还不足300年。我们当今的伞是用钢做骨架，用布包着，于十八世纪末首次被制造出来。这种伞是由六个人一起发明的，这个产品是那么的流行，以至每个发明者都赚了不止100万美元。降落伞的发明据说是源自伞的设计。 编辑推荐：2009年下半年公共英语考试报名汇总 名师指导公共英语阅读考试技巧 公共英语pets三级全真模拟试卷 公共英语pets二级语法讲解汇总